


Traditions Start With A Promise

by Ononymous



Series: Christmas 2018 Stories and Requests [7]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, First Christmas, Gen, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 11:18:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17243297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ononymous/pseuds/Ononymous
Summary: For the first time in a long time, Toriel has someone to celebrate the holidays with. With a little help from her new friends, she'll make sure Frisk won't forget their first Christmas together. And so will Frisk.





	Traditions Start With A Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Original Request: Could you do Toriel and Frisk having their first Christmas on the surface with Toriel trying very hard to make it as happy for Frisk as she can?

The oven door was pulled open, and a third overfilled case was gingerly eased inside, threatening to scrape the bottom of the second. Once it was successfully manoeuvred into place, the furry hands guiding it were briefly engulfed in flames, which passed onto the unbaked pie before vanishing it. The pale pastry already began to change colour to a golden brown like its siblings already had when those furry hands closed the door again.

"Phew, I can take a break from baking done for now."

Toriel clapped her hands together in a futile attempt to dislodge the flour and sugar still trapped in her fur, a habit developed when first learning to cook centuries before and never discarded. She proceeded to wash her hands under a cold tap, and once they were clean she immediately set out for the living room, hands spontaneously drying like held before flames.

"My, my, there is still so much to do..."

There was an unusual column of green in the corder of the room, floor to ceiling. Honestly finding the tree hadn't been the hard part, getting it through the front door was. But that was all managed, and all that remained was the decorations. And right on cue...

"'sup, toriel?"

"Ah, Sans," she cheered, "thank you so much for your help."

"IT WAS NOTHING, YOUR MAJESTY!"

Red gloves were wrapped around two heavy boxes marked " ~~Gyft~~ Christmas decorations", and they were soon placed carefully on the floor next to a few smaller boxes. A second pair of ungloved bony hands were planted firmly inside a blue hoodie, not helping whatsoever.

"i mean," said Sans modestly, "weren't like we were ever gonna use these."

"BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO HELP PUT THEM UP. EVERY YEAR I THINK YOU MIGHT TURN OVER A NEW LEAF, AND YOU JUST-"

"Refuse to put your _backbone_ into it?" offered Toriel.

"heh-heh-heh. i gotta write that one down." He made no effort to do so.

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!" snapped Papyrus. "BUT YES, YOU'RE ENTIRELY RIGHT."

"Well do not fret, Papyrus. None of these shall be neglected in this house. I already have the tree set up."

"WOWIE, YOU CERTAINLY DO! THIS IS ALMOST AS TALL AS THE TREE IN SNOWDIN."

"cool beans. welp, looks like tori's got all she needs, so imma just-"

_PING_. Sans shimmered blue and ceased moving towards the front door. "NICE TRY, NUMBSKULL. YOU'RE THE ONE WHO ALERTED ME TO THE QUEEN'S EFFORTS TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS, SO YOU'RE HELPING!"

"looks like i am," said Sans, graceful in defeat. "go along to _goat_ along, i guess."

"CAPITAL! NOW, SHALL WE START WITH THE TREE...?"

"One moment," said Toriel, finger to her muzzle in thought, "I actually think the tree would look better in this corner. So let me just..."

She advanced on the tree, bending low to seize the trunk and the base, and picked it up without complaint, slowly transporting it to the desired location and putting it down again. She returned to an upright position while brushing a few pine needles out from her ears. Papyrus was unconcerned by the feat, while Sans remained still out of surprise rather than external restraint.

"YOU WERE RIGHT, MA'AM, THE TREE LOOKS MUCH BETTER THERE! NOW LET'S GET DECORATING, SANS. SANS?"

"...remind me never to piss her off." Toriel laughed out loud.

With their general height, Toriel and Papyrus started wrapping tinsel of festively clashing colours around the peak of the tree and heading downwards. Meanwhile Sans started putting baubles around the lower branches. Papyrus tied a "Merry Christmas" banner to the mantelpiece while Toriel scattered nest-like fixtures across the tree. Meanwhile Sans kept putting baubles around the lower branches. From a smaller box Toriel took out two stockings, one new and one old, while leaving three others in the box, and hung them on the mantelpiece, admiring the embroidered names. Papyrus took the important job of telling Sans to hang the baubles on higher branches.

"hey," said Sans, dodging the issue, "ain't there supposed to be lights on this thing?"

"Oh, I have that in hand," said Toriel. From another small box she took out a small pristine candle, held a clawed finger against its wick and watched it ignite, though not melting. She reached up and placed it in one of the higher nests. With this example, she handed more lit candles to the skeletons, who did an admirable job distributing them while she corrected Sans' earlier attempts at decoration.

"THIS CLAMBERING CAVALCADE OF COLOUR SHALL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE COMFORT," alliterated Papyrus by accident. "OH, BUT YOU'RE MISSING A STAR OR ANGEL."

"I'm saving that, Papyrus, you see" she explained, patting the smallest box, "I would like Frisk to place it on the tree themselves."

"hey, that reminds me, toriel. didn't you already have a tree?"

"SHE DID?"

"yeah. 'bout my height. came with electric lights pre-wired into it. it was up when i came to tell you that joke about tsunderplane. you burn it or something?"

Oh..." Toriel looked embarrassed. "I... I felt it was not enough."

"FOR WHAT?"

"For my child. Ha ha, 'my child'. Those still sound strange. My old tree was fine for when I was alone in the Ruins, but now... I have not truly celebrated this time in so long. I had no reason to, and nobody to share it. But they... they have chosen to stay with me. And this is the first holiday we shall share, and on the surface as well. I must make it memorable. I promised myself I would make them as happy as possible."

"THAT..." an impossibly wet sniff emerged from Papyrus' nasal cavity. "THAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL, YOUR HIGHNESS! I'M MOVED TO TEARS!"

"Oh, there is no need for that," she insisted, hands waving to calm him. "But I shall not fail in my endeavour. The King..." she still looked a little uncomfortable when discussing him, but gave credit where due. "...was more than happy to return decorations from his house when I asked."

"huh. he ever use 'em?"

Toriel didn't know, and dodged the question. "Would it be alright if you helped this house look as festive as can be? Frisk is visiting Undyne and Alphys today, I'd like it ready for their return."

The skeletons answered the call, even if Sans needed the not-so-occasional nudge to put decorations up higher than his arms could reach, for his magic could reach effortlessly. The warm if neutral creams and beiges of the living room were soon overwhelmed by clashing palettes of red and green in some areas, silver and blue in others, with decorations hung up with no rhyme or reason to colour patterns. The presents, previously evacuated from Toriel's old tree, were returned, a few rewrapped with a little more flare than the complimentary service the shops had provided. Two large slices of pie with dollops of cream lay on the coffee table, ready for sharing with Frisk later, ice cold glasses of milk perfecting the look. Another half dozen pies were cooling in the kitchen, hopefully freeing Toriel of the obligation to bake any more until at least the new year. A fire roared magnificently in the fireplace, conjured with appearance in mind more than ability to warm, but not neglectful in that either. A radio softly serenaded the room with orchestrated renditions of a variety of songs. And the living room wasn't the only room so festooned. The decorations in the rest of the house were reviewed and expanded, some containing lift up flaps with season-appropriate jokes, like "What happened to the reindeer who swallowed decorations? He got _tinsel_ -itis!" Evergreen garland wrapped around every flat surface available, pinpricks of red enhancing the effect with holly. By the time they were finished, even Papyrus was catching his breath on the sofa, and Toriel alone remained standing.

"...perfect," she said. "Only one thing is missing, and they shall be home soon. Boys, I am eternally grateful for your assistance. Help yourselves to the rest of the pie on the table in the kitchen, I've more than enough for us now."

"sounds pretty _sweet_ to me, tori. c'mon pap, i gotta get a nap in before bedtime."

"A MOST... ENTICING IDEA, SANS," gasped Papyrus. "HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME, MA'AM!"

They forced themselves to their feet and dragged them to the kitchen, where Sans would conveniently find a shortcut back to their house. Alone once more, Toriel made one final concerted effort to look unconcerned, reading 72 More Facts About Snails through her spectacles by the fire. A subjective lifetime later, the front door opened and closed, and a tiny "I'm home!" reached her ears.

"I am in the living room, Frisk."

The human rounded the doorway, still wearing a matching hat and scarf of blue and purple colours, and promptly stopped. It was exactly as Toriel had hoped. They looked directly at her, clearly unable to process how different and exciting the room was.

"Do you like it, little one?" beamed Toriel. "Sans and Papyrus helped me. I wished to make our first Christmas together-"

Frisk ignored her. They ignored the room. They didn't look over at the stockings, or the garland everywhere, or the much more attractive presents or intimidatingly huge tree, or play with the radio, or take some pie, or even pass any kind of comment about Toriel's labours. Instead they walked straight up to her, and a clumsily wrapped purple package rested on page one hundred and forty seven of the book.

"This is for you," beamed Frisk back at her.

"F-for me?!" spluttered Toriel. "But you have already given me a present. I thought we were waiting until Christmas Day to-"

"Can you open it? Please?"

None of Toriel's efforts existed. Only her, Frisk, the present and the plea. Bewildered, Toriel mechanically complied, the purple paper little stronger than a tissue in her clawed hands.

"Oh my-"

It was a large simple photo frame with two photographs. To the right was a new picture, her and Frisk at an amusement park, wearing matching headbands with the large bunny ears of the park's mascot and clearly laughing with each other. To the left was a much older picture, four furry hands resting affectionately on the shoulders of two other smiling children. Her hand rested with the weight of grief that could not be shrugged off, but she continued to smile, silently mouthing their names. Several dots about what Frisk had gotten up to today were connected.

"He gave you this photograph?" in the moment she felt no awkwardness.

"Lent it to me. Alphys helped me make a copy and get the other photo printed, and then I gave it back to him and got them framed today."

"Oh my child-" she momentarily choked up at the gesture, and her eyes grew overbright. "But why do this when you already have a present for me?"

"Well... I wanted to make our first Christmas special. I promised..."

With a light clatter the frame was placed on the coffee table, and Frisk found themselves in a deep hug. It clicked for Toriel. For all her labours of the day, none of it was what mattered to Frisk. A part of her offered a rebuke for thinking so simply, but on the whole she opted to learn from this as she truly build a family with this remarkable child.

"...thank you," she croaked, finally releasing Frisk and retrieving the photos. "I know I have not really discussed them with you, that you have probably mostly heard of them from Asgore..." in her own awkwardness, Toriel missed Frisk looking away briefly. "...but I shall trust he has told you everything that matters about them. It hurts to be reminded, I admit, quite considerably, but I prefer it to forgetting them."

She reached up above the mantelpiece and removed a rather goofy picture of a human Santa Claus, replacing it with the photos and admiring how they looked. She felt her hand squeezed lightly by Frisk, and she responded in kind by patting their head.

"Your gift is even more fitting," she said, wiping a tear from her eye, "for there is one more decoration this room requires."

Now ready to engage in the room, Frisk looked around once more while Toriel retrieved the last unopened box, and took out its contents. A cone of purple cardboard, with the Delta Rune clumsily drawn on it, was attached to two white arms and a head that looked like clay, with two bits pointing downwards looking kind of like Toriel's ears, and two other bits looking like horns, and two clumps of slightly bedraggled looking feathers glued to its back. A beautifully monstrous angel.

"They made this," she said simply, "and I would love if you could help me put it on the tree. Then we can have some pie."

Frisk examined the angel for the longest time, and Toriel couldn't make out what they were thinking. And then they nodded wildly. Chuckling contentedly, the renewed mother picked up her child and carefully hoisted them into position to put a capstone on all the day's efforts. She was so caught up in her emotions, she missed Frisk looking at the angel fiercely, filled with determination to have something much more special in this house for next year.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!


End file.
